Welcome to my Web Site!

It was a wonderful summer to go door-to-door and speak to so many Farmington and Farmington Hills residents. Ok, it was a little hot and very dry, but I still enjoyed it. I even found that walking on the few days this summer that we had light rain, the droplets were welcome relief from the heat.

I want to thank all of you who took the time to talk with me and share your thoughts. It is clear that jobs and education are your top priorities - they are mine, as well. Many of you shared your stories about family members, friends and neighbors caught up in the bad economy and struggling to make ends meet.

Now, more than ever, we need an efficient state government that spends your precious tax dollars wisely. I am committed to fixing Lansing and making our legislature accountable to you, our citizens.

I am appalled that our wonderful schools paid the price for last year’s budget catastrophe. We cannot, and should not, balance the budget on the backs of our children. We must make certain our schools have the resources they need to prepare our children to compete in a global economy and to ensure that each student receives a world-class public education. I won’t settle for anything less and neither should you.

But my fight does not stop at the classroom door. As an investment consultant, I know that Lansing must not only spend your tax dollars carefully but invest those dollars wisely, as well. We have allowed our treasury department to place billions of dollars on deposit in large out-of-state banks that refuse to lend to Michigan’s small businesses and refuse to refinance home loans for our residents. This is unacceptable.

We need to move that money – taxpayer money – into local banks that will help our citizens and businesses revitalize our economy.

That is why I have been working with community banks, credit unions and small business associations to develop a plan to increase lending so companies can expand and create more good paying jobs here in Michigan.

I know times are hard. With your help and support, I will continue to work hard to fix Lansing and make our great state the best place to live, work and raise a family.